Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2013 Mar 6:2013:bcr2012008359.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2012-008359.

Non-ketotic hyperglycaemia hemichorea-hemiballismus and acute ischaemic stroke

Affiliations
Case Reports

Non-ketotic hyperglycaemia hemichorea-hemiballismus and acute ischaemic stroke

Diego M Carrion et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

Here we describe a patient with a rare movement disorder, hemichorea-hemiballismus, which is described as a complication of non-ketotic hyperglycaemia. This complication may be seen in individuals with poorly controlled long-standing diabetes mellitus. Proper diagnosis is established with CT and MRI of the brain, which typically show classic findings in the basal ganglia. Treatment focuses on improvement of glycaemic control and usually results in rapid resolution of the movement disorder. Nevertheless, recurrent episodes of hemichorea-hemiballismus, and even more ominous complications such as ischaemic stroke may occur.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CT demonstrating hyperatenuation of the right putamen and right perisylvian cortex.
Figure 2
Figure 2
T1-weighted MRI showing a subtle hyperintense signal in the right putamen.
Figure 3
Figure 3
CT demonstrating a large ischaemic stroke in the right middle cerebral artery territory.

References

    1. Kim YD, Cho HJ, Song IU, et al. Complete disappearance of hemichorea-hemiballism due to hyperglycemia following acute ischemic stroke. Eur Neurol 2011;66:339–42 - PubMed
    1. Bedwell SF. Some observations on hemiballismus. Neurology 1960;10:619–22 - PubMed
    1. Battisti C, Forte F, Rubenni E, et al. Two cases of hemichorea-hemiballism with nonketotic hyperglycemia: a new point of view. Neurol Sci 2009;30:179–83 - PubMed
    1. Wintermark M, Fischbein NJ, Mukherjee P, et al. Unilateral putaminal CT, MR, and diffusion abnormalities secondary to nonketotic hyperglycemia in the setting of acute neurologic symptoms mimicking stroke. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2004;25:975–6 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dewey RB, Jankovic J. Hemiballism-Hemichorea. Clinical and pharmacologic findings in 21 patients. Arch Neurol 1989;46:862–7 - PubMed

Publication types